SPHERE is a second generation instrument for the VLT whose prime objective is the discovery and study of new extrasolar giant planets orbiting nearby stars. It is a complex instrument, consisting of an extreme Adaptive Optics System (SAXO), various coronagraphs, an infrared differential imaging camera (IRDIS), an infrared integral field spectrograph (IFS) and a visible differential polarimeter (ZIMPOL). SPHERE INS is the software devoted to the control of all instrument functions; it implements all the observing, calibration and maintenance procedures, the interactive GUIs and manages the software interfaces with the observation handling system and the data flow management system. Development of the SPHERE INS has been conducted by a team distributed over four nations. The SPHERE subsystems are nearing completion and the integration of the whole instrument will start soon. In this paper we report on the current status of the software and on the activities concerning its construction and integration with the SPHERE subsystems. In particular, we will discuss how we managed development and integration within our distributed team, including the tools that we employed to support our work.